The Mercer Cluster. (Macon, Ga.) 1920-current, March 06, 1989, Image 2

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The Mercer Cluster., March 06, 1989, Image 2

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Newspaper Page TextPAGE 2-THE CLUSTER, MARCH 6, IN* Nation Education lobbyist don’t like Bush’s budget, calling for cuts in student loans and some grants (CPS)—Overall spending on col lege student aid would drop a lit tle. certain kinds of grants would disappear. Mack colleges would get more money and the federal government would provide less money for students to borrow under the budget proposal Presi dent George Bush made to Con gress Feb 9. The proposal, which Congress will now weigh, covers federal higher education spending for the Oct. 1 1989 through! Sept. 30. 1990 fiscal year "It looks more inpressive than it actually is," said Charles Saunders of the American Council on Educa tion (ACE) of the proposed budget. Janet Lieberman of the United States Student Association (USSA). which represents campus presidents m the capitol. contended Bush "is actually cutting education funding by not allowing for inflation. He says he's freezing defense spen ding. but there he's allow for infla tion.'* Yet all the lobbying groups that will be trying to wring more money out of the government for colleges during the budget process were far less alarmed by Bush's education budget than they had been by Ronald Reagan's. "There is a new climate." Saunders explained. “It’s refreshing to have a guy (like U.S. Dept, of Education Secretary Lauro Cavasos). It’s much better than (President! Reagan’s Secretary of Education William Bennett), who would come in say 'Okay you bastards, we're gonna cut your fun- ding.’ ” In fact. Bush's conciliatory tone prompted Lieberman to call the up coming budget debate "a negotia tion instead of a battle.** "It's a significant improvement over what we got from Reagan.'* added ACE's DAvid Merkowitz. "Last year was the first year Reagan didn't tr> to decimate stu dent aid." "This guy is willing to work with people u> come to some kind of a compromise, to see what can be done," sail a Department of Education offic ial who asked to re main anonymous. While the Bush budget does vary from the one proposed by Reagan in mid-January—most notably, it call for greater funding for pre school. elementary and high school programs — Bush's planned spen ding for higher education ^ofcsn't differ that much from Reagan's. "The real point is: are the needs being met for postsecondary educa tion now?" Saunders said. Answering his own question, he added, "We’re left with the same concerns we had when President Reagan released his budget in January," Bush would like to do more for higher education, the Depart of Education official said, but budget restrictions caused by the federal deficit tie his hands. "The deficit problem affects everything," the Education Dept, official said. "We're got to cut it or we're dead in the water. "The only new money for pofltsecoodary education," he said, "is for National Science Scholar ships and traditionally black col Declining applications at top schools could indicate enrollment drop (CPS)—The number of high Xbool seniors applying to top col leges around the nation is down for the first time in yean, most likely because of a dwindling number of high school graduates and increas ing college costs, admissions of ficers say. “Since this is happening to everyooe. the best guess is that it's demographics.** said Michael Behnke. admissions director of the Massechu setts Institute of Technology, where applications are down 10 percent frpofa year ago. But some suspect that students and their families may be reacting to tuition increases that have con sistently exceeded the nation’s in flation rate throughout the 1980s. "I think there’s a great possibili ty that turnons are a part of it." said Linda Davis Taylor, admissions applications are off by 4 percent from last year. **1 question whether price is a real issue,** argued David Merkowitz of the American Coun cil on Education. Tl hasn't af fected them before." The number of high school seniortshas dropped steadily from 3 million' is 1980 to 2.76 million ta 1988. and is expected to drop to 2.44 million by 1992. attending college helped offset an expected drop in college enroll ment, however. To the surprise of many, college enrollments grew from 12.1 million in 1980 to 12.5 million this year. Some college officials believe the drop m applications from next fall's freshman class is the first sign the long-expected decline in enrollment is about to begin. Harvard University spokesman Peter Costa estimates a 5 to 10 per cent drop in applications, the fust such decline in at least 20 years. Brown University and other Ivy League schools report similar declines. Sun lord University's fall ap plications have decreased 6 per cent. and the number of applica tions sent to tbe University of Cahfonna-Bcrfceley also has £dkn. “I rrmsidrr this a yellow light. We all kind of anticipated it," said Bradley Quin, admissions director m Lafayette College in Penn sylvania. where application, are down 5 percent. I don’t mean to imply that we're not concerned This is a compeutrve business, and it's going to make it that mm-h harder to increase the quabty of our “I wouldn't predict any ptum- mettnig of college enrollments, countered Merkowitz And I cer tainly wouldn't believe these stRooia (Ivys aad ate academical ly rigorous and expenscivc col leges) will suffer one bit. “We're talking about a small margin of change. Elite institutions will not be affected by this because they receive far more applications than tbe number of students they admit." he added. If enrollments do fall in the future. Merkowitz said less selec tive schools will feel the brunt of it. "file elite schools will have no problem with enrollment.'' Some officials say students may be culling down on the number of schools they apply to following a decade in which multiple vptica- uoos increased sharply. An annual survey by the American Council on Education and the University of California Loa Angeles found that a record 37 percent applied to at least three col- leges in 19*8, compared to 26 per cent in 1980. Students are apparently less eager to submit applications when application fees have hit S30 and more. "When you start talking about SJ0 fcca. you get more selective." said Sanford Rivers, associate director of admissions si Carnegie Mellon University "Studetna and their counselors are recognizing that multiple ap- pt«~Mwns don't always produce results." Merkowitz said. leges." The Bush budget would award S3 million to 370 high school students who excel in science as college scholarships. The Educa tion Department official said it's an attempt to increase American science competitiveness, which re cent studies say falters compared to Japanese and European students. By 1992. the Bush budget calls for $20 million to be awarded in science grants. The Bush budget also call for $10 million to help bolster traditional ly black colleges and universities, schools Bush has supported for decades. The budget calls for Out funding to increase to $16 million in 1992. Overall student aid spending. Continued on page 13 Loyola gay program needs “opposing view” (CPS)—Students at Loyola University of New Orleans will not be able to hear a program about gay men put on by a well-known pro fessor because the Catholic Church, which runs Loyola, con demns homosexuality. And any speakers who visit the campus in the future to talk about the subject will be preceded or suc ceeded by someone offering an ' opposing view," student govern ment faculty advisor Robert Hcpter has ruled. The controversy arose when a university employee asked student President Will Wang to invite someone—it turned out to be City University of New York Prof. E. Mrtin Duberman. a widely publish ed author of scholarly books and articles — to speak on campus about gay issues. Wang, however, said he couldn't extend an invitation for Duberman to speak because student govern ment policy dictates speakers who oppose church teachings must be balanced by speakers who support Catholic doctrine, either in a debate format or in a separate presentation. "We’re not against having a speaker on this topic." said Colin Potts, vice president of the Loyola Union. "But we need lead time, we need to see who fits withing our budget. Speakers are selected a '■ 1 semester in advance." “Homosexuality is against Catholic doctrine,’’ Potts explain-, ed. "We need both sides of an issue like that for a balanced presenta tion." "When we present a controver sial subject, it is my duty to inform other groups (who might disagree) like the Jesuits," said faculty ad visor Heplcr "I would notify them so they can present their side and j leave it at that." A year ago. the student govern- ' ment presented a program on por nography as a debate before a standing-room-only crowd. Poos said. “While we hadn't planned on this kind of presentation (on homosexuality), it's not an idea to be turned away . But the request has to be made through the (Ideas and Issus) committee head." said Potts. Any other campus group can bring a speaker to theyhool. Pons said, but the student government arranges most of the arts, film and music presentations on campus The Loyola Union has received no letters or calls criticizing its ac tions, said Poets. "There have been some letters in the (student) paper in favor of the policy. It's not that big a deal on campus. No one s mad." Wis. group urges blacks to attend black schools (CPS)—A Milwaukee group is try- ing to dissuade black students from going to predominantly white col leges, aaldng them to try Mack col leges instead. To protest racist incidents at the mostly white campuses. Matthew Sicily, editor of the Milwaukee Courier, haa staned a group - call ed the Black College Recruitment Association - to steer Meek stu dent to traditionally black campuses. "We're saying the kid should not go to the Unviersity of Wisconsin or .Marquette (university) until those schools are more receptive to Macks," Sicily said. "Go to a black college for your undergraduate degree, where you can be educated by Macks " The effort follows more than three years of racial coofrootauons on campuses ranging from Tompkins-Conland Community College in New York to Rodgers State College in Oklahoma, as well as at the universities of Massachusetts and Wisconsin. The Citadel and scores of other campuses.